Full ’n Soft Mascara ranks as Maybelline’s best mascara for those desiring equal parts impressive length and thickness. The balanced application sweeps on without clumps, separates lashes evenly, and wears all day. Marvelous!

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Ingredients

Brand Overview

Maybelline New York At-A-Glance

Strengths: At least one excellent product (if not several) in almost every category; many excellent foundations; superior mascaras; inexpensive makeup brushes; some terrific concealers, powders, blush, and lip color options.

Weaknesses: Some of the foundations with sunscreen lack the right UVA-protecting ingredients; disappointing lip balms; the Great Lash mascaras tend to be mediocre to downright bad.

Maybelline is one of the best-known and most recognized mass-market makeup lines in the world—it's available in 90 countries. Throughout its long history, which began in 1915 when T. L. Wilson founded the company and named it after his sister, Mabel, and Vaseline (which he combined with coal dust to concoct a mascara for her), the company has prided itself on bringing innovative products to the marketplace. L'Oreal purchased the company in early 1996 and that's when things really started getting much better. Both companies specialize in offering a large selection of lipsticks, nail polishes, and mascaras, and many of their foundations have the same strengths and weaknesses (smooth textures and finishes plus the inclusion of sunscreens that are often without much-needed UVA-protecting ingredients).

The powders, several mascaras, pencils, matte-finish concealers, and Superstay Lipcolor are impressive and inexpensive. Although L'Oreal remains the more sophisticated and refined of the two lines (and now they have credible products, not just sleek ads, to back this assertion), Maybelline's latest urban image is a positive step, as many of their latest launches have been innovative without resorting to "been-there, done-that" gimmicks. Price-wise, Maybelline is the least expensive of the L'Oreal-owned cosmetic lines (which also includes Lancome, Biotherm, Vichy, and Kiehl’s), and smart shoppers will note the similarities among brands that, with conscientious shopping, can really save you money without sacrificing quality or performance.

For more information about Maybelline New York, owned by L'Oreal, call (800) 944-0730 or visit their interactive Web site at www.maybelline.com.

About the Experts

The Beautypedia Research Team is dedicated to helping you find the absolute best products for your skin, using research-based criteria to review beauty products from an honest, balanced perspective. Each member of the team was personally trained by Paula Begoun herself.

The name says it all: Full and Soft. This mascara adds volume and length, leaving your lashes looking softly, realistically full and long. It doesn't clump, smear, or flake. It removes easily with make-up remover, and it applies with relative ease. I find many mascaras a real challenge to apply. I don't like spiky, sticky, clumpy lashes, but I also find the rubber wands painful to use so went for years without mascara. Not any longer! This is better than pricey mascaras!

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Reviewed by

Michelle B.

02.15.2015

My Favorite!

I love this mascara! It's cheap and it stays on my lashes all day long. It lengthens and gives me volume and the formula isn't too wet. It lasts quite a while in the tube and it's very black. It also doesn't feel dry and flaky to the touch I love it!

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Reviewed by

Micaela B.

02.05.2015

Not for me

The applicator is very difficult for me to use. But the end of the day I had racoone eyes.

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Reviewed by

Peggy F.

12.28.2014

My All Time Favorite!

This is the best mascara I have ever used in my 52 years of wearing mascara. It is a perfect combination of lengthening and thickening, while at the same time, keeping my eyelashes soft. The end result is natural looking beautiful eyelashes. Stores don't seem to stock much of it and I am so afraid Maybelline will quit making it. Perhaps that wouldn't happen if more people would try it because I'm sure it would become their favorite too.

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Reviewed by

Sharron H

11.18.2014

Marvelous!!!!!

I have been in the quest for finding my holy grail mascara and was almost giving up until I found Full and Soft by Maybelline. I've tried Lancome, Estee Lauder, Mac, Clinique, Benefit and Tarte, Cover girl, Loreal and this one is the best. It applies easily, doesnt clump gives you lenght and enough volume, beatiful separation. I used this back in the days I remebered I liked it but just thought it was old. Well, its an oldy but awsome mascara. No need to spend so much $ on Tarte now! (2nd best)

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Reviewed by

Janet

08.20.2014

Good product, but spoils quickly

I like the soft texture this leaves on my lashes...no "crunchy" feeling. But about a week ago, I noticed that my eyes were feeling irritated when using this product. Bringing it close to my eyes made them start to water. I bought my tube in April, and it's only August, so it shouldn't be going bad already. Yet when I gave the brush a sniff, I noticed a definite "old makeup" smell. I have extra-sensitive skin/eyes so other people might not have this problem, but I tossed my tube yesterday.

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Reviewed by

Naomi P.R.

05.27.2014

Holy grail product!!

As my title explains this is my HOLY GRAIL product. I have been using it for at least 5 years (trying other brands in between) but always going back to my full n soft. I use the waterproof as the original can smudge and doesn't keep the lashes up for as long. The waterproof give me length and volume without clumping and they stay up on my eyes all day! The formula doesn't irritate and I would recommend to anyone looking for volume and length in one mascara. You can also layer it up. LOVE IT!!

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Reviewed by

Stephanie.s

04.04.2014

Smudges...

This mascara looks great on my lashes and is enticingly cheep, but it smudges. I have slightly oily skin and long lashes and that makes finding a good mascara that doesn't flake or smudge is an ongoing battle. This would be great for someone who doesn't have problems with smudging.

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Reviewed by

Kelsey A.

03.06.2014

My go to cosmetic I wear every day

I have naturally long lashes and this is the best applicator I have found on the market. Standard wire type brush, "grabs" lashes to apply mascara and separates them nicely. I have used this mascara for five years and stay active surfing, mountain biking, snowboarding and play beach volleyball, it has withstood all those elements. I use the very black color and find it removes easily. Strangers ask me all the time what type of mascara I use and this is it.

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Reviewed by

Lindsay F.

02.28.2014

My Go-To Mascara

I can't believe I waited so long to try this mascara. It is simply the BEST drug store mascara out there. I use the Full 'n Soft in Very Black. It is my go-to for daytime mascara. It provides volume, separation, and dark pigmentation; without smudging or flaking. It can take a minute to set, so be careful when applying. Users looking for a mascara for a dramatic, nighttime look should look elsewhere. This is intended for a more natural, daytime look.

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Reviewed by

Melinda J.

02.25.2014

Not impressed

Barely coated my lashes, an almost 'no mascara' look...no likey.

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Reviewed by

LL

12.05.2013

This is the best ever

I was spending a lot of money on Dior, but this is way better. It does not clump and it's not dry. Easy to apply too w/o getting all over your under eye. Adds fullness and length, but still natural. Doesn't smudge, but comes off without a struggle. I have very sparse lashes and they have never looked better. Even one that fell out on the bottom and is growing in looks lengthened matches better. This is the HG of mascaras.

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Reviewed by

Anonymous

03.08.2013

No clumping

I am picky about mascaras. I have long eyelashes, and hate hate hate clumps. I also don't want to spend my makeup fund on mascara. This is a great price for a very good mascara. It goes on thin and I can easily lengthn with a quick 2nd coat. It does not smell and comes off very easy with a good eye makeup remover and cleanser. It lasts long enough- 10 hours or so. Does not irritate my eyes. I hope they dont discontinue it. Often it is place at the bottom of the rack.

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Reviewed by

Mary R

01.06.2013

No longer care that discontinued in Canada

I was so bummed when this was recently discontinued in Canada as it was such a good mascara; it made my lashes full but not brittle and it didn't flake. But when I was researching Beautypedia looking for a new one I saw that Maybelline tests on animals. I had no idea! So I decided to check out the mascara from the companies that don't do that instead and discovered one that is just as good.

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Reviewed by

J

12.03.2012

All that a mascara should be

This is a stupendous all purpose mascara! It is equally great at lengthening and thickening, clumps nil, and leaves lashes looking fantastic! A great beauty buy!